How to pick a Realtor

Choosing the right real estate agent can make the home-buyer or selling process easier.

Choosing the right real estate agent can make the home-buyer or selling process easier. (Shutterstock)

Emily HirschSpecial to The Morning Call

Choosing the right real estate agent eases the home-selling process.

Finding a good agent that fits your specific needs is key

No matter if you are a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned pro, the process of buying a home can be daunting and exhausting.

One variable in the home purchasing equation that can either make or break your experience is selecting a Realtor. A good Realtor will help you navigate the complex world of real estate while steering you toward your dream home. In reverse, an incompetent Realtor will only serve to frustrate you and drag out the process for much longer than intended.

With such an important life milestone of selecting your new home, it's imperative to find a Realtor that is a good fit for you. That said, the most difficult part of the process is figuring out where to start. To equip you with the best practices for choosing a good Realtor, local experts break down how to find a pro.

Ask for a referral

According to David Coleman, Broker/Owner of Remax Real Estate, the smartest place to begin your search is with a referral.

"The first place to start is to consult with family, friends, and neighbors — especially if they've recently had a experience with a real estate professional--and ask for a reference," Coleman says. While Coleman says that there are some of what he calls "cold referrals" — people responding to advertising or marketing material they receive — "eighty to 90 percent of our business is a referral based system from past clients," Coleman says.

Contract with a buyers agent

Doug Frederick, owner of the Frederick Group, says the most important step to finding a real estate agent that will have your best interests in mind is to contract with a buyers agent.

Frederick says that a lot of people start their home search online, arranging visits with various different properties — each with their own real estate agent. This process is misguided, according to Frederick, because you won't have someone taking your needs into account; rather, the agents are just trying to sell a home. Another perk of having a buyers agent is help navigating the complicated sales process.

"If you're tuning into Zillow once in a while you don't have someone guiding you through the sales process, you're going to be disappointed," Frederick says. "It's more important than ever to have an agent to explain all the complex sales processes to you."

By sales processes, Frederick is referring to the confusing world of financing, foreclosures, settlements, and short sales — areas in which the average home buyer doesn't have much experience.

Coleman also recommends buyers agents. He cites the complexities of dual-agency relationship — in which a party represents both the buyer and seller of a particular home.

"I don't believe that dual agency is the best agency relationship that exists," Coleman says. "It's harder to maintain loyalties and confidentialities to both buyer and seller; it's better if they buyer has their own representative."

Ask the right questions

Once you decide whether hiring a buyers agent is a good fit for you, it's time to hone in and select an agent. To effectively do this, you have to ask the right questions

According to Frederick, the first area that should be discussed is their familiarity with your desired properties.

"As you zero in, ask the question: is the agent familiar with the types of properties I'm interested in?" Frederick says. Most agents have a particular type of property that they sell, so it's an important factor to consider.

"If you're looking for condos, you'll want to look for someone with luxury property experience," Frederick says, "but if you're more looking for large acreage in the country, an agent with condo experience wouldn't be a good fit."

Other questions can help you gauge an agent's experience and how active they are in the market — factors that should affect your decision. Coleman recommends asking basic questions such as how many years they've been in real estate and their experience in the industry. Similarly, some questions can be revealing as to how active they are as an agent.

"Ask them how many homes they've sold in the past year and to speak with clients they've helped on the purchase," Coleman says.

If they've sold too few homes, they might not be on top of the market as Frederick notes: "if someone sells a property once a year, you may want to reconsider the agent."

Lastly, don't underestimate education, as it shows a devotion to their career. Coleman suggests asking questions such as "what designations do you hold" because it shows whether "you've invested in your career from an educational perspective."

Consider your needs

In selecting a real estate agent, it's important that you are working with someone who will consider your needs. According to Frederick, a good real estate agent should do a "needs analysis" to truly understand the factors that are weighing on your move.

"You should have a discussion with your agent about why you're moving," Frederick says. "Is it a bigger house, a better school district? This discussion will help your agent have a better understanding of what to look for in potential homes."

This conversation is also a good time to discuss your time frame and how quickly you need to move into your next home. Coleman notes that factors such as your job commute, access to highways, utilities and resale value should also be taken into account. Coleman also points out that a good agent will arm you with the correct tools to make a decision for your needs.

"When it comes to factors such as school districts, real estate agents should never give you their opinion, but instead provide you with statistics so that you can come to that conclusion on your own," Coleman says.

Consider your preferences

Although it may seem insignificant in comparison, it's very important to make sure the buyers agent who you select can work with your preferences over your time working together. This includes everything from preferred communication methods to frequency of visits, according to Frederick.

"It's very important to get that communication established early on to avoid misunderstandings," Frederick says, "ask 'how are we going to communicate?' Text, call, etc. so that everyone is working in that format."

Another factor to consider is what time the agent is available and how frequently they are available. For instance, say you want to look at homes every Tuesday morning for the next month, will they be consistently available?

When building rapport with a new client, Coleman says a good agent should establish basic criteria from the start.

"You should go into it as here's what you expect from me … I will respond to your text messages, emails or calls by XYZ time. Here's how often you'll be hearing from me."

Coleman says, "the more you establish ground rules and are upfront with your plans, the more people understand and can avoid problems down the line."